Objective: To observe the safety and efficacy of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) intraoperative defibrillation threshold (DFT) measured by defibrillation safety margin (DSM).
Methods: Fifty-two patients underwent ICD implantation were enrolled in this study (25 single chamber ICD, 23 double chamber ICD, 4 three chamber ICD). DFT was measured by DSM method. All patients were followup regularly.
Results: DFT was (13.27 ± 2.95) J and DSM was (17.40 ± 2.89) J in this patient cohort. There were no serious intraoperative complications. Malignant ventricular arrhythmia occurred in 38 patients post ICD, 469 episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) were spontaneously terminated, 265 episodes were sustained VT and 245 (92.5%) episodes were successfully terminated by 1 antitachycardia pace treatment (ATP), 13 (4.89%) episodes successfully terminated by 2 ATP, and ATP failed to terminate VT in 7 (2.64%) episodes and VTs were terminated by low energy cardioversion. All 141 episodes of ventricular fibrillation (VF) were successfully identified, and 14 episodes spontaneously terminated before discharging, 127 VF episodes (91.34%) were terminated by 1 energy shock, defibrillation energy was (12.84 ± 3.18) J, 11 (12.2%) VF episodes were terminated by 2 energy shocks, defibrillation energy was (16.36 ± 2.34) J.
Conclusion: It is safe and feasible to use defibrillation threshold measured by DSM for patients receiving ICD implantation.